Improvement in machines for tapping gas and water fittings



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L. W. STUCKWEL'L. Machines forl Tapping Gas antw-alter Fittings Patented] uly 7,1874.

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Machines for Tapping Gas and ater Fittings 910,152,775. Patentedjuly ',1:874`Y FL.L}-.

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Machines for Tapping Gas and water Fittings No,l5 2,775, y Patentediulymsm.

HIIIIIIII Machines for Tapping Gas and Water Fittings NRM-32,775.' Patentedluly 7,i874

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NITED STATES- PATENT EEICE.

LEVI STOOKVVELL, OF RAVENNA, OHIO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,775, dated July `7, 1874; application filed May 25, 1874.

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, LEVI W. STocKwELL, of Ravenna, in the county of Portage and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Gas-Pipe-Fitting Machines, of which the following is a specification:

Theobject of this invention is to tap gaspipe ttings by operating several taps at the same time on one fitting, the fittings being moved and held in position to be tapped by means of an endless chain.

The four sheets of drawings, forming a part of this specication, illustrate the invention.

Figure lis a vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the chuck to hold the ttin g. Fig. 3isa part'of the chuck. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the machine, showing the top of the endless chain. Fig. 5 is an end view of the machine. Fig. 6 is a view of two of the wheels on which the chain turns. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show parts by which the endless chain is operated.

a is the frame of the machine. b b are the driving-pinions, which turn the wheels d 7c. The wheels d k turn loose on two of the hollow shafts c c c, which contain and hold the spindles e e e. Each of these spindles turns with its shaft, and slides on a feather in the shaft. These spindles hold the taps. Two of them are in a horizontal line with each other, and the other is above and at right angles to them, and all point toward a common center. In the outer end of each spindle the screw f is fastened by means of a set-screw. g g g are stationary nuts held in the frame by a set screw. The screws f f f turn in the nuts g g g. The shafts c c c are connected by beveled gear-wheels. 7L h are clutches. Each of the clutches slides on a feather on the shaft c, andthey clutch with the wheels d lc. The `wheels d k are in clutch alternately. When wheeld is in clutch it turns all of the shafts c c c and their Vspindles c c e by means of the beveled gear-wheels. The spindles c e e turn the screws f j' f, and their nuts g g g causing the spindles to slide 4on 4their feathers in the shafts and approach each other, thus entering and tapping the fitting. `When wheel k is in clutch, and wheel d out of clutch, the motion of the spindles e c e is reversed, caus! ing the taps to withdraw from the fttin g. 'Io

tap fittings of different sizes and different threads, the screws f f f and nuts g g g are changed for others with threads to correspond with the thread of the taps to be used. The clutches 71J h are operated by the arms l I, which are attached to the rod p by set-screws, their lower ends entering grooves around the clutches h h. The rod p slides endwise in the frame of the machine, and thus operates the clutches h 71.. The rod 1o is moved by the 1ever't,int he upper end of which is a loose collar, through which the rod p passes. The fulcrum of lever t is at itslower end, where a pin passes through it into'the frame of the machine. In lever t,'near its center, is a loose ring, s,which surrounds the spindle e between the collars z' i, attached tothe spindle c. Lever tis operated by the spindle e approaching and receding from the tting. Thecollars m u on the rod 19, each sideof the lever t, are held by setscrews. The collars m n are recessed to hold the spiral springs which are around the rod p on each side of lever t, and press against the lever.

The clutches 7L l1J are operated as follows: When. wheel d is in clutch, and the spindles e e e are approaching each other, the lever t is moved by the spindle toward the collar m, pressing the spiral spring back into its recess in the collar until the lever presses against the collar, and slides the rod p with its arms Z I, which draws the clutch away from wheel d,

and the action of the compressed spiral spring against the collar m then slides the rod p until the wheel k is in clutch. This reverses the motion of the spindles e e e and their taps, so that they withdraw from the fitting. In doing so the motion of lever t is reversed, so that'it presses against collar u, throwing wheel 7c out of clutch, and then the action of the spiral spring against collar n moves the rod p until wheel d is again in clutch. The collars m and n, the arms l l, and the fulcrum of lever t are so adjusted that the clutcheswill be moved only when the fitting is tapped, and when the taps approach the tting.

The nuts g g g have grooves around them, and the set-screws which hold them from turning enter these grooves. By loosening the setscrews and turning `the nuts, the screws f f f,

the spindles, `and taps are adjusted toward or v from the fitting. The grooves in the nuts pre-V vent the nuts from moving endwise while being turned. The endless chain fr turns at right angles to the shafts of wheels d 7c onV wheels x x, whose shafts turn in the frame of the chain. The upper side of the chain moves in grooves in the frame. The links of the ch ain are hinged together, and large enou gh so that a chuck, c, which holds the fitting, may be attached to the outside of cach lilik' by means of bolts through the chuck and link. The chuck or vise which holds the fitting is made in two parts or jaws. These jaws are adjusted for different-sized fittings by means of slots, through which they are bolted to the links. In one of these jaws the cain-lever w is attached by a pin through the jaw. By moving this cani-lever, the upper part al of the jaw is made to slide toward the other jaw, and presses the fitting and holds it in the chuck c. Tho upper part al slides in grooves iii the lower part of the jaw. When the outer end of the cam-lever w is raised, the upper part al of one of the jaws is pressed away from the other jaw by the spiral spring a2 between the jaws. The ends of the spring a2 rest in holes in the jaws. The liners cl cl, which hold the tting, are fastened in the jaws by screws. Vhen the jaws are opened the tting is placed between the liners, and then, by pressing down on the cain-lever w, the jaws are closed to hold the fitting. The three taps are used to tap a T-fitting, and to tap an L- fitting one of the horizontal taps is removed.

Around the chain on the inside, at the center of the chain, are teeth, which connect with the wheel al, whose shaft turns in the frame of the chain i. The wheel a3 turns the chain i". On the shaft of wheel a3 is placed a ratchetwheel, a4, by means of which the chain is turned. On the shaft, by the side of the ratchet-wheel afl, is the lever 02,011 which is a pawl, c3, which turns the ratchet-wheel. To the upper end of lever c2 the toothed bar c4 is loosely attached by a pin. This bar extends over and rests on the wheel il on the hollow shaft c. There are teeth on the under side of the bar c4, which connect with the toothed wheel il. The teeth on the bar and on wheel il do not extend across the bar and wheel, but leave a part of the under surface of the bar and part of the circumference of wheel il for the bar to rest on. Vhen the wheel l is in clutch the wheel l turns with the hollow shaft c, and carries forward the bar c4, and moves the lever c2, ratchet-wheel a, wheel a3, and chain i, while the taps are approaching to enter the fitting. When wheel 7c is iii clutch the bar c4 is moved back with the lever c2, carrying the catch c3 over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel al. Onefourth of a revolution of the ratchet-wheel afl moves the chain the length of one of its links.

is held in this position while the fitting is' bcing tapped by the end of spring t2, which eiiters a notch in wheel i3.

notches in its circumference equally distant from each other for the spring i? to enter. The wheel i3 is so adjusted on the shaft that the spring 2 enters a notch when the chain has moved so as to bring a tting in position 'to be tapped. The spring i2 is attached to the frame of the machine. The cam-wheel i4 is on the' shaft, between and against wheel i3 and the lever c2, and attached to the lever c2 so as to move with it. The end of spring i? projects over the cam-wheel f4, so that when the lever c2 is moved back, carrying the pawl over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, the cani-wheel il lifts the spring i2 out of the notch in wheel il, and holds it out until the motion of lever c2 s reversed and the wheel 'i3 is turned so that the spring enters another notch in the wheel fil. The lower end of the pin 0l rests on the top of the bar cl, over the wheel il. It passes through the frame of the machine. It has a spiral spring, 02, around it, which presses it down on the bar to increase the friction of the bar on wheely il, so that when the motion of wheel il is reversed the friction of the wheel on the bar will carry the bar until the teeth of the wheel and bar are in contact. This friction is sufficient to carry the bar cl back while the pawl is passing over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel but when the motion is reversed to move the chain o", the friction ofthe wheel and bar, and the pressure of the spring o3, attached to the lower end of lever c2, against the bottom of the frame of the machine, are sufficient to move the bar cl until its teeth are in contact with the teeth of wheel il. The pawl c3 is so adjusted as not to press against the teeth of the ratchet-wheel al until the bar cl is moved forward to bring its teeth in contact with wheel fil. Wheel 7o is smaller than wheel d, so that the motion of the taps is increased while they are withdrawing from the tting. Small pins project from one side of the handles of the cam-lever i0, near the end. The cam o4 is attached to the chain-frame under the chain i, and presses against the pins in the cam-levers w as the chain turns, and thus opens the chucks c and releases the fittings. On the side ofthe chain-frame the bent bar s is attached, which projects beyond the chain 1', so that the cam-lever handles, which have been raised by the cain o4, will be pressed down by coming in contact with the bar s as the chain turns. This is donel to prevent the handles from catching in the beveled gearwheels that connect the shafts c c c, in case, by neglect or otherwise, the cam-levers are not pressed down by hand to hold the fittings.

I claim as my invention- 1. The endless chain i, in combination with the chucks to hold the fittings, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination of the endless chain i, the wheel afl, ratchet-wheel afl and pawl, lever This wheel is on the shaft of the ratchet-wheel al, and has four 3. The combination of the cam o4 with the' endless chain o and the chucks7 substantiall5r as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combination of the Wheels d 7c with the clutches h h, arms ul l, rod p, levert, eollars m u, and springs between the collars, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. The grooved stationary nuts g g g, with their set-screws7 in co mbinatiou with the screws f f f, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. The combination of the endless chain 1', Wheel a3, ratchet a, lever c2, spring;4 o3, eamwheel i4, Wheel 453, spring i2, bar c4, pin o1,

-spriug oand Wheel il, substantially as and. `for the purpose herein set forth.

LEVI W. STOGKWELL.

p Witnesses:

GEORGE F. ROBINSON, BRADFORD HOWLAND. 

